$66-million upgrade coming to Whistler Blackcomb

Vail Resorts, the owner of Whistler-Blackcomb, has announced a $66-million project for the world-famous ski resort.

A new gondola running from the base to the top of Blackcomb Mountain will replace the four-person chairlifts, and include a mid-station so guests can get to different points of the mountain. That’s expected to increase capacity by 47 per cent.

Other upgrades include replacing the four-person Emerald chairlift with a high-speed six-person chair, and the three-person Catskinner chair with a four-person high-speed lift with an improved alignment.

The mountain bike park will also get 21 kilometres of new trails.

As for the water park that was proposed last year as part of the Renaissance project, Vail’s CEO Rob Katz said the focus will remain on core improvements for now, with the water park an option for the long-term.